Jonathan Brown - Slavery in Islam

About this lecture

In this wide-ranging lecture, Professor Jonathan Brown explores the deep complexities surrounding slavery in Islam, examining why the topic is so intellectually and emotionally difficult to discuss, both for Muslims and for Western society at large. He introduces the concept of the "slavery conundrum" — the three mutually contradictory axioms modern people are expected to hold simultaneously — and explores the historical, economic, and cultural roots of abolitionist thought. He concludes by presenting an authentic case from within the Islamic legal tradition for why categorical abolition of slavery is not only permissible but is, in fact, the most faithful fulfillment of the Sharia's own deepest aims.